The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) technical report numbered TR 23.799 and entitled “Study on Architecture for Next Generation System,” version 14.0.0, December 2016 (hereinafter referred to as TR 23.799), represents one approach to the design of a system architecture for next generation mobile networks, also referred to as 5th generation (5G) networks. Section 6.3 of this document considers potential solutions to the key issue of providing a mobility framework. Within this section is a description of a Mobile Originating (MO) only mode for a User Equipment (UE) 100 (FIG. 1) that does not require mobile terminated service (i.e., the UE 100 does not have or expect downlink (DL) traffic) or that wants to limit its reachability.
A UE mode, referred alternatively to as the Mobile Initiated Connection Only (MICO), or the Mobile Initiated Communication Only (MICO) mode, is described in Section 5.4.1.3 of the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) technical specification numbered TS 23.501 and entitled “Technical Specification Group Services and System Aspects; System Architecture for the 5G System,” version 0.3.1, March 2017 (hereinafter referred to as TS 23.501). However, the system would benefit from certain improvements related to the MICO mode.
For purposes of this disclosure, MO-only mode and MICO mode can be considered substantially equivalent and used interchangeably. In some instances, the term MO/MICO or MO-only/MICO is used to emphasize this applicability to either mode.
Therefore, there is a need for a method and apparatus serving mobile wireless communication devices in wireless communication networks such as proposed 5G networks, for providing MO-only/MICO mode, that obviates or mitigates one or more limitations of the prior art.
This background information is provided to reveal information believed by the applicant to be of possible relevance to the present invention. No admission is necessarily intended, nor should be construed, that any of the preceding information constitutes prior art against the present invention.